If there were to be a list of early indicators that America might be ready to re-engage in tourist towns, downtown Annapolis should be on that metric board.
The historic state capital seemed like a perfect case study for evaluating the first full day of the newly revised Maryland social distancing guidelines from Governor Larry Hogan, who just happens to live in the hood.
What the Spy saw on Saturday was promising but tentative. Taking advantage of what could only be called a perfect May day, modest numbers of tourists, midshipmen, and locals returned to walking on Main Street, visiting some shops, or gathering at the city dock. And all of whom seemed to clustered with only known ones; but happy to have this buffered experience nonetheless
The city of Annapolis has launched a clever marketing campaign that borrows the famed motto of a naval commander in 1813 crying out to his ship’s crew to “Don’t give up the Ship.” The Spy found good evidence Saturday that no one is going to give up on any ship or this town anytime soon.
This video is approximately one minute in length
Kathy Bosin says
I only saw five face masks in that video and one was on a statue. Not impressed, Annapolis.
Eileen Deymier says
The State capital, home of the Governor & the US Naval Academy ( not one mask seen on any of the midshipmen pictured) and hundreds of visitors…definitely not an example to be proud of.
Rod Coleman says
I am all in favor of masks for indoor use in stores, etc, and for relatively stationary outdoor locations where social distancing is difficult or impossible to maintain. But wearing a mask outside when social distancing is maintained seems to me to be overkill – and what I’ve read in legitimate news sources [WaPo, NYT, etc) would seem to support this approach.
Not going to judge these folks from a brief video, but the little I saw didn’t concern me….
Beth Lawton says
Wow, so few people have on masks! What is that about?
Heather Marsden says
I’m so proud of my town of Annapolis! My adult children were downtown Saturday night. People were wearing masks inside shops but not as much outdoors. People stuck with their groups and we’re just happy to be outside enjoying the wonderful evening and our beautiful town. I have read many articles that have been written by doctors in our Maryland hospitals who say that the homemade cloth masks do little to prevent spreading germs and give people a false sense of security. The only effective masks are the ones used by the professional medical people.